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POPSGeneral Introduction - OA ClipSeries In this post-singularity, post-scarcity world, any goal a sapient being can name, any goal that doesn't violate the laws of physics, or fall apart under its own inconsistencies, can be achieved. But that doesn't mean all problems have been solved...
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POPSRobin Hanson on the "Great Filter" there is a "Great Filter" along the path between simple dead stuff and explosive life. The vast vast majority of stuff that starts along this path never makes it. In fact, so far nothing among the billion trillion stars in our whole past universe has made it all the way along this path.... ne or more of these steps is much more improbable than it otherwise looks. If it is one of our past steps, such as the development of single-cell life, then we shouldn't expect to see such independently evolved life anywhere within billions of light years from us. But if it is a step between here and a choice to explode that is very improbable, we should fear for our future.... Optimism (as defined here) regarding our future is directly pitted against optimism regarding the ease of previous evolutionary steps. To the extent those successes were easy, our future failure to explode is almost certain...
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POPSAlien sociology Colonization? A hunt for additional living space? If the former is something aliens do, then they won't wait to hear from us before doing it. The British, after all, didn't begin their colonization of Australia because they had intercepted some aboriginal communications Other suggestions about why they might visit include forestalling competition in the Milky Way marketplace, proselytizing, or just learning more about us. It's not clear that any of these goals requires "killing us," of course, but the logic is wobbly anyway. Any beings that actually could come here will be far beyond us in technological accomplishment. Imagine if you could visit the Neanderthals. Would you worry about commercial competition? Would you give them bibles? Remember: these are (nearly) the same species as you are. The aliens won't be. I dare say you wouldn't try convincing porpoises to join your church. and the reason I say - we got MILK.
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